Legendary Hurt
by Sailor Crystal
Summary: AU. Rating for language, abuse, character death, selfharm, and mention of rape. Four children of legend. One event changes everything they once knew as everything around them is destoried. KHVarious FF SoraOC RikuOC
1. Default Chapter

This is a story that's a combination of three role-plays I did with a friend of mine.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Square Enix. Aurora belongs to my best friend and twin while Kinno belongs to me.

A/N: The first chapter takes place in someone's POV. I won't say whom; it's for you to figure out. So have fun. Sorry to Kiari fans by the way, but she's not in this story. Nor are Donald and Goofy. So sorry folks.

_Italics - _thoughts

Legendary Hurt

Prologue

_It burns…why does it burn…? I knew it would come to this eventually…I had failed the test and now my twin was serving that bitch in order to make sure I stayed alive…why does it burn…?_

Silent thoughts passed through my mind as the black light strikes me, driving me to my knees. I fall with a cry, the pain hitting me hard since it was meant to attack my heart…what little I had of it…

_Why can't I just die…? Because of me…my two best friends and my twin are fighting to stay alive…Because I had always been weak, they had to suffer…Ever since Sora came to the islands…Nothing was ever the same…Why couldn't it have been different…?_

I look up slowly, my deadly yellow eyes narrowed with pain but filled with heartache at my own thoughts. Yet, inwardly, I smile just a little. Riku would personally kill me later if he ever found out I wished to end my own life, just to keep him, Sora, and Aurora safe. The black light hits my chest again and I fly back. I land on my back, just barely conscious. The witch walks over and stands over me, smirking evilly but I give no response.

_Riku…I'm sorry…I couldn't fight Malificent…Just like I couldn't when we came to the castle…Please forgive me…I never meant to put you in danger…_

My silent plea echoes in my mind, as my weary body finally can't take anymore and shuts down, throwing me into darkness. My human mind was fighting my heartless body, wearing me down to the point that I was critically weakened, yet I had no idea that attack was intended to knock you out after two hits. I would only learn it from Riku later, as we wandered alone, away from our two closest companions for a year…

Chapter 1: Meetings

**A few months earlier** **Normal POV**

It was dusk on Destiny Islands, the signal for kids to start coming in for the night. Yet, three children are still out, running around over the beach. One is a 15-year-old girl with bright silver hair. She's currently in the lead, laughing as she's followed by two boys. She stops at the entrance to the shack and turns around. The two boys stop and breathe heavily as she smiles. Her piercing emerald eyes are sparkling brightly as she stands with her hands on her hips.

"Are you two done yet?" She asks in a playful tone and gets a glare from both in answer.

"That's not fair Kinno!" The youngest of the three whines and she laughs.

"Is so Sora! It's the name of the game."

"Who suggested we play tag anyway?" The 14-year-old grumbles.

"You did!" Is the girl's reply and the other boy laughs.

The girl smiles brightly. Her outfit consists of skintight black pants, which don't hinder her movement at all, and a yellow tank top. She wears no shoes, hating the feel of them on her feet. Around her neck is a gold chain. On the chain, gently resting against her chest as she stands there is a gold glass star. Sapphire and rubies outline the star while directly in the middle is an emerald burst. It glows faintly; either from an inner light or from the sun is unknown at the current time. Her body appearance is frail and fragile looking, but she can keep up with the other two any day. She grins, looking over to the other boy.

"Riku, should we go home?" She asks and he shakes his head.

"Let's stay awhile Kinno. Pick on Sora some more."

The girl laughs and the younger boy grumbles. Riku was Kinno's older twin by only minutes and though sometimes coldhearted and distant in expressing emotions, he was fiercely protective of the two younger children. (A/N: Sorry to say folks, I can't really describe Riku's outfit, so go on what you've seen in the game.) His shoulder length silver hair moves gently in the breeze and his piercing emerald eyes settle on the smaller boy who's still grumbling a little bit.

"Come on Sora. We don't mean anything by it."

"You might not but I do." Kinno is quick to counter and laughs as Sora leaps at her.

She moves away, dodging him before taking off down the beach. Sora was the youngest of the three but defiantly the most hyper. His brown hair stuck up in odd directions and nothing anybody could about it could straighten it out. His dark, deep blue eyes, though showing mock hurt at the comments of the twins, also show playfulness as he chases after Kinno. His outfit consists of a red vest over a white shirt. Baggy red pants with a chain on it and large shoes. He also wears white gloves. Around his neck is a silver chain and on that chain, a crown gently hits his chest as he runs after Kinno.

"Come on you two! We have to get going home!" Riku calls after the two and both stop, Sora pouting playfully a little bit.

"Do we have too?" He asks and Riku nods.

"The weather's turned really bad out here lately. I don't think we want to stay here."

Sora nods and all three start heading to the docks. However, Kinno suddenly stops and looks out over the water by the proclaimed "Riku's Island". The two boys look at her in confusion than jump as a scream sounds. Kinno takes off running towards the shore, darkness descending quickly as the sun falls below the horizon. Kinno dives into the water and dives under the surf, heading towards where something fell into the water.

_What the hell happened? The water is freezing…It shouldn't be like this…_

Kinno surfaces to take a breathe before she dives under the water again, swimming down with arms out in front of her. Her necklace suddenly glows brightly, sending light around her, making it easier for her to see. She spots purple hair and swims down, grabbing a hold of the figure's arm. She pulls it up, getting a better grip before swimming up and surfacing. She breathes evenly; looking to the one she rescued and blinks a few times, seeing a young girl. The girl coughs a few times than opens dark red eyes and looks up at Kinno. The girl doesn't say anything before gently pulling the purple haired girl after her as she swims back to shore, the necklace still glowing as if to lead them. They both slowly walk out of the water after they make it to shore and Kinno's necklace light dies. She shivers slightly from the cold water as Riku heads over to her.

"You alright?" He asks gently.

"Yea…The water was just too cold for my liking." Kinno answers.

_It's never been like this…something's going on…I wonder if it has something to do with my dreams…_

Sora soon comes over with the girl in tow who looks more than a little shy.

"This is Aurora!" He says with a happy tone and both twins smile.

"Thanks for saving me." Aurora says, looking over to Kinno.

Kinno smiles and nods. Aurora has waist length purple hair and her dark red eyes suggest she's seen things a child her age should have never seen, scarring her mind and heart. Kinno could sense the deep sadness that lingered in Aurora though evidently she tried not to let it show. Later, she would find out what caused it. (A/N: I don't have an outfit description for Aurora but she's the same age as the twins)

"So whom will Aurora stay with since she can't stay here?" Sora asks.

"Why doesn't she stay with you, Sora?" Riku asks and Sora blinks twice.

"Seems you've quickly become her friend so why not?" Kinno adds and Sora nods a little bit.

"Alright. Come on Aurora!"

Sora takes off to the boats, pulling Aurora along and the twins just shake their head as they follow after the two. Kinno however can't dismiss the fact that she thinks something will happen.

_I'm sure this is just me, but Aurora and Sora actually look a lot alike. They're obviously different of course…but…I wonder…_

The uneasiness in Kinno grows larger as they get closer to the main island. She was just glad Riku didn't share her ability of sensing emotions or he would be able to tell how unsettled she was. Than again, she knew he probably could just by looking at her. She was scared…Scared of something that would eventually change her life though she doesn't know it yet.

**Someplace else where**

_'"Four children of legend…One to be the barer of light and the savior of the known worlds while also being constant rival and best friend to the barer of darkness. A child of neutrality whose life always lies on a delicate balance. Born with a weak body, the child's feelings can be explosive if overwhelmed or provoked. And the last, the one that brings all of them closer together and is the most knowledgeable about the elements than anyone else even remotely close in age…"'_

_I'll have to watch out for the child of neutrality and light…but maybe I can use the other two…_

An evil malicious laughter echoes throughout a castle as the book is closed, the legend having been told in its entirety.


	2. Chapter 23

This is the second chapter of my new story. Aurora, you'll finally learn the full story behind something you never asked about in our RP hehe.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Square Enix. Aurora belongs to my friend Aurora and Kinno belongs to me.

_Italics _thoughts

/blah/ heartless talking

Chapter 2: Destruction of Destiny Islands

A few hours have passed since the four teenagers have reached the main island. Aurora is over at Sora's, spending the night there since she doesn't have any other place to stay at the moment. The twins have gone to their home and Riku is watching Kinno as she stands on the balcony, looking out over the ocean.

"You alright?" He asks gently and Kinno shakes her head a little.

"I've seen…bad things happen in my dreams…Destruction…Chaos…" Kinno answers quietly.

"What gets destroyed?"

Kinno shakes her head lightly, looking down to her hands not wanting to scare him. Riku frowns lightly before just watching Kinno as she looks out over the shore. About another hour passes before Kinno moves from her place. Her gaze moves out over the water, as if sensing something. Riku follows her gaze, his emerald eyes narrowed before he looks at her.

"Is this what you were speaking of?" He asks.

"Yes…the destruction of the islands…"

That's all the prompting he needs as he turns and runs off of the balcony. Kinno follows and both run out of the house and down the walkway. On the main road they meet up with Sora who looks worried.

"Aurora's gone!" He says and both twins look at one another.

_What could this mean? A feeling of emptiness, than Aurora's disappearance?_

"Come on!" Riku tells them, taking charge.

He runs down the road, heading to the docks with Kinno and Sora in pursuit. He unties a boat and pushes it away from the dock a little bit, not a great distant. Kinno runs up and jumps into the boat, making it rock just slightly before getting settled in. Sora is the next to follow, jumping in as well while Riku jumps into the water, pushing the boat out more before climbing in himself. It takes only minutes for the two boys to row them to the smaller island, where they had been only earlier that day. They reach the docks and all three climb out, looking around. Aurora runs up to them, looking frightened as she gasps for air.

"What are you doing here?" She asks.

"Came to find you." Sora answers.

The twins aren't paying much attention. There looking over to "Riku's Island" seeing a void of darkness over it. As Sora and Aurora talk, they make their way over there, going through the shack to get onto the bridge. They cross the bridge and step foot on the island, looking around. Kinno moves to where she's closer to Riku and he gently wraps his arm around her waist as a void of darkness appears under them.

"Are you ready, Kinno?" He asks of her and she nods.

She hugs Riku tightly before feeling herself descending into the darkness. Her emerald eyes widen in panic but Riku's grip on her hand calms her.

"Don't fight it. Just let yourself go Kinno."

"But what about you?"

"I'll follow shortly. I have to get Sora since you say the islands will be destroyed."

"But what if you can't find me?" Kinno asks in a sudden panic.

"Than I will look until I find you. I swear it."

Riku tightens his hold on Kinno's hand before gently letting her go as she disappears into the darkness.

Chapter 3: Kinno's Failure and Sacrifice

**Kinno's POV**

_Where am I…? What happened…? All's I remember is descending into darkness and asking Riku…wait…Riku!_

That's the thought that spurs me awake. Riku had left me to descend into the darkness to make sure Sora got off the islands before they were destroyed. Now my only thought was if he was alright. As I move to sit up, a hand gently pushes me back down and I look up to look into the familiar piercing eyes of my twin who's smiling gently at me. I smile back and let myself fall back onto the pillow.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to wake up. It normally doesn't take that long."

"Sorry."

I sit up and rub the back of my head a little bit in embarrassment before looking up at him.

"So where are we?" I ask, curiosity gripping me hard as I look around the room.

"In a place called Hollow Bastion. It's a big castle. Unfortantly, you have to meet someone before you can go exploring."

"Aww damn."

I watch Riku get up from the bed, than follow his lead and get up myself. I follow him out of the large room, looking around at everything, and out in the hallway. Many corridors later, I find myself standing with my twin in a stone room torches with purple flames along the walls, giving the room an eerie feeling since the fire didn't illumante the room like normal fire. I shiver, moving a little closer to Riku as a portal opens in front of us. A woman walks through and my first impression, _rather kill us than look at us. _The woman has green screen and is wearing a black dress with a hood with dragon horns on it. She holds a staff in her hand that for some reason I can tell holds magic, though I didn't know how I knew. (A/N: Yea…I can't really describe Malificent any better than that…so yea…)

"Is this her?" The woman asks.

I look at Riku confused as he nods.

"This is Malificent. She's letting us stay here, provided we can do one thing, which I've already done." Riku answers to my confused look.

"What is this one thing?" I ask nervously.

"Prove you have the capability to control the heartless." Malificent hisses and again I shiver.

I hesitate only a minute before I agree to do it, not wanting to be separated from Riku. Both of us follow Malificent as she leads up through the castle and into a labortary like room. We stand in the middle of the room, in between six crystal like cases and look up at Malificent as she looks down at us.

"Now, what I want you to do is control Darkside into attacking the keyblade wielder."

I don't notice the flinch that Riku does right after I say I'll do it. I had NO idea what I was getting myself into or even who the keyblade wielder was before than. Malificent casts her spell over me and I vanish. I appear in a viel of darkness and slowly open my eyes.

/Who are you/ A gruff voice demands.

"Kinno. I'm the one Malicifent sent here."

/I don't need your help attacking the keyblade wielder./ The voice growls.

I put my power into stopping him, to make him obey my commands and though it works, it doesn't work completely. His attacks slow, being pulled down on by me but they don't stop.

/What are you doing/ The voice demands.

"Making you obey me."

After making his attacks more sluggish, I finally turn my attention to the battlefield. What I see freezes my heart. The keyblade wielder was Sora, the boy I had had a crush on for quite a few years now. And standing a few paces behind him was the frightened Aurora. I mentally scream and force the heartless to stop his attack all together. I hear Sora scream my name and I slowly open my eyes from when I had closed them and look down at him. In his hands, he carries his keyblade as well as the necklace him and Riku had given me when I was younger, for personal reasons. The inner light is shining brightly and I smile faintly. The heartless mentally blasts me and my control is viciously ripped from me.

"I'm sorry Sora…" I apologize quietly before getting thrown out of the heartless.

I appear at Hollow Bastion, my body aching and my heart racing. I see Riku standing at the edge of the ledge, just a foot from me, his fear hitting me hard. I turn a little to see Malificent sneering viciously at me, and her anger hits me, even harder than Riku's fear did.

"You fool! Why didn't you try harder!" Malificent screams at me and I growl quietly in response.

"Because I didn't know the keyblade wielder was my friend! I will not attack my friends!" I shout back, not yet knowing at the time how much that statement will haunt me later.

"Than die." Malificent hisses.

"No! Malificent! Steal my heart!" Riku suddenly cries and I jump in shock.

I watch helplessly as Malificent smirks and moves her staff in Riku's direction. A black lightning bolt comes from the crystal at the top, heading for Riku. At the last moment, I move my arm in front of Riku's shoulders, pulling him away and taking the hit myself. A deep gash, running from the back of my right hand to my elbow opens, deep enough to where glints of bone can be seen and pouring blood as I collapse to my knees. The blood rapidly forms a puddle under me, flowing to the edge of the platform and dripping into the water below.

"Take mine…" I gasp out around my pain.

"No! Let her live and take mine!" Riku says in desperation.

I watch through blurred vision as Malificent moves her staff in my direction, obviously having a better idea. The dark lightning that I had gotten hit with now hits my chest and I fall back as a pink heart hovers above me. The pain associated with my heart being taken wasn't as bad as what was to come.

"How about this instead Riku? You work for me and I don't kill your sister right away."

Riku looks at me and I weakly shake my head, not wanting him to throw his life away just to keep me alive.

_Riku…Please don't…Not for me…Don't make another sacrifice for my sake…Not like when we were kids…_

I plead mentally for him not to but he doesn't answer my pleads. I watch as he nods in a solemn way and she grins evilly in response. She moves her hand in a "come here" gesture and my heart slowly goes over and hovers in her hand. An instant before she does it, I know what she's going to do and both me and Riku watch, horrified, as Malificent wraps her hand around my heart and tightens her hold. The sound of cracking glass is heard and I suddenly jerk in pain as pinpoints of pain suddenly appear throughout my body. The sound of glass breaking suddenly comes and I cry loudly in pain as my body throbs, feeling like every bone in my body is broken as my heart shatters. My memory fades as my vision darkens until I pass out from the pain.

**Riku's POV**

I watch, my heart breaking as I hear Kinno's cries of pain before she passes out. I look to Malificent as the fragments of Kinno's heart vanishes. Malificent moves her staff in Kinno's direction and her body glows black. When the glowing is gone, I can't help but shudder at the look of diguist she places on my younger twin.

"Know this Riku. I put a spell over her to keep her human though she no longer has a heart. If she survives with that arm wound of hers, she'll only have a certain amount of time before it wears off. To make sure it doesn't wear off, she needs to find her heart pieces that are scattered throughout the worlds. If she doesn't, she'll turn into a heartless."

_No…Kinno would die if that happened to her…The heartless instincts…_

I stop my train of thought, my eyes filled with terror at the thought of what would happen to Kinno should she turn into a heartless. Malificent looks at me, her eyes filled with malice.

"Half of her heart remains here. Either stay and work with me or I kill her now.." She says with venom.

I look over to where Kinno lays, her blood still slowly dripping from the deep wound on her arm..

"I'll stay." I finally say quietly after a few minutes pause.

"Good…now get her out of here."

I watch Malifcent leave than walk over to Kinno and gently pick her up in my arms. Her body is so frail and fragile looking, despite all the sparring she's done with me and Sora, that her body feels very light in my arms. I look saddened as I too vanish. I appear in a hotel in Traverse Town, a town that's a meeting place of sorts for those who have lost their homes to the heartless. I gently lay Kinno down on a bed and tend to her arm, using a spray version of a healing potion on her arm since I didn't have any bandages or magic at my disposal. I watch over her for a few minutes as she lays there before looking down.

_I'm so sorry Kinno. I never meant to hurt you…_

Rapid thoughts go through my heard, most of them centered on the pain Kinno would endure should she ever transform into a heartless. I gently kiss her forehead, moving some hair away from her eyes before vanishing, go back to Hollow Bastion. At the time, none of us had any idea of the torment we, as well as Sora and Aurora, would go through now that I served Malificent. I just knew at that moment, I had sold my soul to the Devil to keep my twin alive.


	3. Chapter 45

Okay…I started this during school outta boredom but since I'm only in my comp class for near an hour, I can't finish it there. So I'm starting over at home.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Square Enix and Disney. Kinno belongs to me and Aurora belongs to Aurora. Carbuncle belongs to Square Enix as a summon in various Final Fantasies

A/N: Yea. Riku might be a little OOC. But remember, this is his sister he's talking to.

_Italics_ thoughts

/blah/ heartless talking

Chapter 4: Reunion and Telling

**Kinno's POV**

As my mind slowly drifts back to consciousness, the first thing I feel is a burning pain. Mostly centered around my chest. I struggle to remember all that's happened and in my half conscious state, it takes a while. It takes until the burning pain begins to numb for me to remember. The dream of the destruction of the islands…the dream coming true…Falling into darkness and coming out unscathed than finding out I was picked to attack the keyblade wielder…Failing miserably... My thoughts stop there on their own as my nonexistent heart suddenly cries bitter tears. Riku had sacrificed himself I knew it and I didn't even need to be told. Though changed by many things over the years, the only thing that never has is his will to keep me safe and protected at all times. Never meant to be smothering, he did it out of fear of me dying again… I knew it and accepted it, never getting on his case about it. But this time…This time I fear it will be the end of us both. Emptiness settles in my chest where my heart used to be as I fight back the bitter tears my body wants to shed since, without meaning to, I pushed my brother into working for Malifcent. Guilt sweeps through me seconds after the bitterness does and it's only than do I realize someone is in the room with me…

**Normal POV**

Sparkling dark blue eyes suddenly widen in happiness as he notices the girl under him move a little, guilt followed rapidly by confusion flicking across her pale face. He smiles brightly as piercing green eyes slowly blink open and gaze up at him, mirroring the confusion on her face.

"You're awake!" He says with excitement.

He notices the girl's eyes widen in shock before she launches herself at him, hugging him tightly.

"Sora! You made it off!" She says with happiness.

Sora smiles and hugs the girl back before gently holding her at arm's length.

"I was so worried about you Kinno. When you vanished like that…"

Kinno blushes a bit before looking around the room she's in. Very different from the grand room at Hollow Bastion, it's mostly…green. Green wallpaper, green bedding, even green curtains.

"Kinno…what happened to your arm?" Sora asks with worry, seeing the deep gash that marred her right arm.

_A constant reminder of my failure._

"I don't…want to talk about it…" Kinno mumbles quietly and Sora instantly backs off.

"Here." He says suddenly.

Kinno looks up and her piercing eyes brighten as Sora holds out her necklace. She reaches up and as soon as her hand closes around the star, the emerald burst blazes with light, recognizing her. She puts it around her neck and lets it rest against her chest. The light dies down, going back to its normal faint glow and Kinno smiles, looking up just in time to catch Sora yawn.

"Go to sleep Sora. I'm sure you've had a rough time."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Kinno nods and Sora smiles before going into the room next door. Kinno, however, stays awake for another half an hour, her hand playing over the wound.

_My failure…Maybe the one time I could help my brother…And instead I condemn him…_

Tortured thoughts go through Kinno's mind, plaguing her until she falls into an uneasy sleep. In her dreams, played out in her mind's eye, she sees what she thinks her guilt will take her, not knowing the path she sees, will come to pass later.

Dream

**Kinno's POV**

I find myself back at Hollow Bastion, standing in the laboratory and watching in silence from the raised platform. I gaze in disinterest to the rug below, not caring much for it. That is, until my twin is dragged in. He's kicking, struggling violently, against the grip of two Invisibles. They throw him in the middle of the rug and leave. He raises his head, glaring hatefully at something past me and I turn around to see the evil witch Malifcent, standing a foot behind me. I ignore her, for now, and turn my attention back to Riku. All along his arms are bruises, as if something's punched him recently. Along his left shoulder I can see a burn from fire magic and my chest burns in anger as I look at Malifcent.

"You still seek to disobey me?" The witch asks coldly of Riku.

Riku glares defiantly at her and I cheer silent approval. Malifcent narrows her eyes in anger and raises her staff. A column of fire appears around Riku and his pain filled screams echo in my head as I watch in horror. What I couldn't tell from the dream, when this happens, Riku's being protected so he's not getting hit with the full blast. But I don't see any of it. All's I hear are his screams. They tear at me, killing me more. Never…not once have I heard him scream like that. As the attack finally stops, he collapses to the floor, burned and unconscious. I scream, letting out all my guilt, my pain, and my sadness.

End Dream

**Normal POV**

"Kinno! Wake up!"

Kinno's piercing eyes snap open and she's meet with the worried gaze of her twin.

"Oh God! Riku!" She hugs him as tightly as she can, fear eating her.

"Kinno, what's wrong?" He asks, hugging her back and just holding her.

"You…You can't disobey Malifcent!" Kinno says, moving back.

Riku's eyes darken in hatred as he shakes his head a little.

"I have to…I have to make sure you stay alright…"

"She'll hurt you!" Kinno says right after he says that and Riku blinks.

"Hurt me how?"

Kinno shifts uncomfortably where she's sitting on the bed.

"Kinno…Tell me…"

Kinno slowly lifts her gaze to look at him.

"She abuses you…hitting you…burning you…just for disobeying…"

Riku looks down a little than looks up again just in time to catch the guilt that flickers across Kinno's face again. He sighs quietly, knowing it was coming, and gently brings Kinno closer to him, holding her close.

"Don't feel guilty for what I've chosen."

"But you did it to save me!" Kinno protests.

"And I would have done it had it been Sora or Aurora…"

Kinno pulls away from Riku, looking at him.

"You've been making sacrifices for me since we were kids. You always took more abuse, just to make sure I didn't fall ill. You even got me a gift the day I was dying. And what do I give you in return? The ONE time I can help, actively, help you, I get you condemned. You're working for an evil witch that probably hates both of our guts without ANY good reason. What kind of a sister am I if I put my brother through all of that shit…?"

Riku listens silently, letting her get out what he knows she needs to, to keep her from snapping on someone else. When she finishes, he gently holds her close, hugging her tightly as she lies across his lap and in his arms.

"Everything I've done, I've done out of love. You're my sister and I love you. All these sacrifices you've said I've done. I've done out of free will. I was never pushed to do any of these things. And if we got a chance to start over, back when we started getting abused, I would do nothing differently. As for working with Malifcent, would you believe me if I said that had perks? I can world hop now as well as giving you different kinds of potions should you need it. Plus I have this cool sword now."

Riku smiles a little to hear Kinno chuckle against him.

"That still doesn't answer my last question…"

Riku gently kneels over and kisses the top of her head.

"You're the kind of sister that always thinks of others. Their health, their problems. And never of herself. You're the selfless protector, Kinno. Not once, when we were younger, did I hear you complain during the abuse we got…You were always more worried about me. Even if you were sick…And like I said, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat…"

Riku smiles a little again to feel Kinno relax against him before both suddenly jump as the door flies open and someone falls through. Kinno looks over as the figure pushes it's self up and reveals it's self to be none other than Aurora. The girl pushes herself up and blushes as she smiles sheepishly.

"Hello." She greets.

Riku gently lets Kinno go as the girl gets up and goes over to Aurora. The girl shifts uncomfortably, afraid she's in trouble for eavesdropping before Kinno grins widely and hugs her tightly. Aurora blinks before hugging back and smiling a bit.

"At least everyone did make it out safely. That's a relief." Riku says, getting up from the bed as well.

Kinno nods agreement, stepping back from Aurora.

"Though not uninjured." Aurora says quietly.

"It doesn't hurt." Kinno protests and just to prove her point, stretches her right arm and moves it to show it doesn't hurt her at all.

Riku suddenly looks over to the door connecting the two rooms and moves back near the door to the balcony as it slowly opens to reveal a sleepy eyed Sora. Kinno waves to the younger boy than sees out of the corner of her eye, Riku vanish from site. A wave of sadness and anguish go through her, remembering who he's working for before shrugging it off as best she can, which isn't much. Kinno, Aurora, and Sora start talking with each other about little things until Sora suggests going exploring. Aurora, already knowing the town though she won't say how, declines. Kinno is all for it and both her and Sora run out of the hotel and into the second district. Running through the district proves to be great medicine for Kinno though in the back of her mind, she can't forget all that's happened.

**Kinno's POV**

Going through the first two districts of this town were amazing. New sites to see, new people to meet, new places to go had me entranced for a while. We stopped in this store that had three little ducks as inn keepers. _They were so cute!_ I couldn't help think that as we talked to them. For this new fight with the heartless, I had to have a weapon. The ducks were very nice in saying I can borrow a sword, as long as I either returned it or paid for it later. Just between us, I NEVER got around to doing it, EVER. Hope their not mad…Anyway, we continue our exploration of the districts, going into places we can without getting run out until, near the edge of the second district, we come to the Dalmatians home. We go in and though neither of us have had experience with dogs (The closest I've come is Carbuncle. My memory of him is fuzzy but I do remember him being a small creature), we're astounded to find only two adult dogs. We ask questions and from their reactions, we find out what happened. From the business with the heartless, their puppies have gone missing. That calmed my excitement. We left, a bit subdued now, and head to the third district.

**Normal POV**

"You guys are asking for trouble, aren't you?" Aurora's voice sounds as they head into the district.

"We just want to look." Is Sora's childish answer as he and Kinno go down the stairs into the plaza.

Both jump as columns of rock come up in all of the exits. Riku appears at the top of the staircase, watching the two children, a deep sadness in his piercing eyes.

**Riku's POV**

In truth, I had hoped they wouldn't come here. I had heard from Malificent that she was planning to test the strength of Sora and his keyblade. And after getting Kinno tied into it as well, she wanted to trust her strength. I didn't want them to come, but I knew it had to be done and my own heart ached in pain and sadness. I walk over to the railing and watch the battle between my best friend and twin against the army of heartless. They win easily and Kinno goes around, collecting the money. I hear her comments about the sword being lended to her and am relieved about that. The relief quickly turns to horror as the Guard Armor comes. The ground shaking upon his arrival, neither Kinno nor Sora hesitates to jump and attack him. All three of us had sparred together very often, every since Sora came to the islands and more so after Kinno died to help strengthen her body and endurance. I knew how both of them fought. Sora was more a combo hitting, hitting more than once in a string of attacks while Kinno was more acrobatic. Often times, to confuse her opponents, she would add flips and cartwheels to her attacks. She was so good at it, she rarely got hit. Not to say she never did. And today was one of those days. I visibly flinch as, in the middle of one of her cartwheels, the Guard Armor swings his arms around and claws deep into Kinno's already cut open arm. She falls to her side but quickly gets back up, backing up against the wall as blood drips from the new wound. My mind swings back to just earlier that same day, when Kinno first got the large cut. Her last chance to save my life had almost cost her, her arm but she didn't complain…She had wanted to save me and watching the blood drip from her arm as she leans against the wall, reminds me of her feeling of guilt in being unable to do that, the guilt that I felt as well, in getting her heart stolen. I watch as Sora keeps fighting, succeeding in making the Guard Armor fall to pieces before running over to Kinno. In the sudden silence, I hear the words they exchange.

"Do you want to stop?" Sora asks quietly, checking over her injury.

Kinno's answering words make shame and sadness flow through me again as I watch them.

"No…Your all alone…You need the help…" Kinno answers, her voice cracking slightly in pain.

In my mind, I can hear her voice saying the unspoken words.

_And to prove to Malificent, I can get my brother's life back…_

I could see it in her posture since I couldn't see her eyes. I hear metal clanking and look up as the Guard Armor puts itself back together and goes to attack the two again. I wanted to shout a warning, but I wasn't supposed to be here and if I did, I would give myself away to those who were not supposed to know I still lived. The one person being Sora. Again I flinch as Sora's back gets racked open from the claws and he falls against Kinno at the sudden attack. I hear her call out his name in fear as his blood drips to the ground, mingling with hers that's already there. Rapid footsteps catch my attention and I turn to see Aurora running down the stairs, intent on trying to get through the barrier. I appear in front of her, stopping her and shaking my head.

"This is their fight. They have to prove something." I tell her, gesturing to the fight, able to be seen through cracks in the columns.

"But their both hurt!" Aurora protests.

I say nothing, letting her watch the fight as I do as well. Both have gotten back into fighting stances, but Sora is shaking from the pull on his back and Kinno's grip is slippery on her sword hilt. I can tell that by the way she keeps flexing her fingers on the hilt, trying to get a better grip. Aurora moves past me to look through the barricade to watch them.

"Don't attempt to help them." I tell her, a slightly hard tone entering my voice.

The sounds of metal on metal can be heard as they start attacking again and Aurora watches them before looking at me, an accusing look entering her eyes.

"How can you stand there and watch while your sister's out there hurt?" Aurora asks me in a cold tone.

Her voice causes me to flinch again, narrowing my eyes a bit to her anger.

"She's fighting against something within herself that cannot be fought against for very long. Should she win now, even with her injuries, her freedom can last a little longer." I reply in a bitter and sad tone.

Aurora says nothing in response. She goes back up the stairs and I follow, wanting to watch the battle from a better view to make sure neither is killed. I notice it a few seconds before Aurora does. Their attacks are getting slower and more sluggish and I quickly realize…They won't be able to keep it up for much longer.

"Something's wrong…Their moving too slow." Aurora says in worry.

"Blood loss most likely." I answer with the same worry.

They deliver one more strong attack and the Guard Armor finally dissolves. My heart jumps, seeing the heart left behind before plummeting in sadness. This was it…The process was to begin and I could only watch as my sister's body slowly died because of the inner turmoil she would go through. I bow my head before stepping back and vanishing.

**Kinno's POV**

That was probably one of the most exhausting fights I have ever been in. Guard Armor was a heartless I never wanted to fight again. The barricade around us explodes and Aurora runs over to us as we collapse wearily to the ground.

"Are you guys okay?...Stupid question." Aurora says as she runs over.

I don't even answer as a small piece, less than a fourth of it, breaks off and drifts over to me. I gently brush my fingertips against the smooth surface and it glows, drifting closer. It goes into me and I sigh deeply as it settles back in its place. Neither Sora nor Aurora questions it and for it I'm glad. I don't think I could explain what's going on, since in truth, I didn't know the full story either.

**Normal POV**

After getting Kinno and Sora to the hotel and getting their wounds looked at, Aurora is on the roof, looking out over the second district. Riku appears over her, causing her to jump. He laughs a little, moving back. The two end up talking a little bit before Aurora posses the question Riku had been avoiding.

"Why did you let the darkness take you?"

"It was a way to get off the island." Riku answers nonchalantly though his eyes suggest otherwise.

"So was the door. And it didn't require you to give up a part of yourself to the darkness."

Riku flinches, his gaze roaming to where Kinno's sleeping.

"That's why I kept yelling for you to stop at the islands. But I didn't want to get close to the darkness."

"The darkness wouldn't have taken you. It only takes those who open themselves up." Riku says knowingly.

"You know the only reason Kinno did was because you promised to be there with her and she trusts you with her life. And no I didn't pry…Sora just talks in his sleep, loudly."

"And because of that trust, she has to pay double to price of accepting the darkness." Riku says in anger, rubbing his arm in the same place Kinno's gash is on her arm, remembering all that's happened.

The two talk more before Aurora goes back inside, leaving Riku alone. After calming Kinno down from a nightmare she has, he vanishes, getting called back to Hollow Bastion.

Chapter 5: Kinno's First Transformation

Since the fight with Guard Armor, a week and a half has passed. After healing from the injuries received in the battle, the three have left Traverse Town and have gone to Deep Forest. Though Kinno now has another heart fragment and a new pet, the adventures they went through were not the most fun. Now in Wonderland, Kinno sits on a lily pad, coming from one of the tree branches hanging overhead. She swings her legs back and forth, thinking about what's happened recently. She's found, with the spell over her from Malifcent, that she can perfectly understand any heartless they come across. Most desire to take the hearts of those working against their master. But one…one didn't have that wish. He didn't understand what his family meant and Kinno had saved him from enduring pain from his kin. After talking with it more, she found out it was a baby and didn't know how to steal hearts, nor would he even if he could. So Kinno had adopted him. At first, Aurora had been unhappy with her decision, distancing herself from both the heartless and Kinno. After a chance encounter with Kinno, the half heartless had learned her friend's reluctance on getting to know the baby. After seeing her family and home destroyed, Aurora had hated all heartless. It had only been made worse by the fact her brother had been separated from her at a young age. Kinno quickly jumped on the fact Sora wasn't from the Islands and trying to lighten Aurora's depressed heart, had assured the girl that Sora hadn't grown up alone. After finding him, the twins had taken it upon themselves to raise him and help him learn, even though they were just a year older. But Kinno's somewhat excitement had faded into her own depression. The baby heartless, by the name of Shadow, had warned Kinno the real reason he was so intent on getting Aurora to be his friend. Her constant gloominess made her an easy target and after meeting her, Shadow had wanted to protect her from his kin. Kinno learned on the way to Wonderland he had succeeded. After that, Aurora had let Shadow be around her, had even been let to ride on her head as he often did Kinno, without being shunned just because he was a heartless. Kinno was still depressed though. Aurora's hatred of the heartless has scared Kinno into keeping away from Aurora, afraid of her reaction should she transform.

So she sits on the lily pad, watching the forest below her feet, keeping herself away from Sora and Aurora. She watches them walk under her, talking back and forth and just enjoying the scenery. Though depressed, Kinno too was enjoying the open air. She still remembered from her years of abuse, the feeling of being blinded and trapped someplace where her air was quickly running out. It had seeped into her until she hated being in enclosed places. She tolerated it, but if she stayed too long and the feeling got so bad, she'd be panicky and desperate to leave. Thankfully no where she's been has had that feeling to her yet. An off-key melody of a song touches her ears and she glances up, looking further into the forest. Shadow is purring his song, the same one he's been singing since he was adopted, and trying to jump onto the mushrooms leading to the treetops, just having fun in his own way. Her rapid thoughts get interrupted as she feels a shift in her mind, picking up on someone else's feelings. She stands up and whirls in a flash, not recognizing it until she sees it. Her once dull eyes suddenly widen in shock and happiness, seeing a familiar face. She runs over and hugs him tightly; happy to see her dream hasn't yet come true. Though he is bruised, he hasn't yet been burned and she smiles a bit around her worry.

"You look worse for the wear."

"Yea…I ran into a little bit of trouble. But you dropped something."

Kinno looks confused as Riku holds his hand out. Lying on his palm is a gold glass star with sapphires, rubies, and an emerald in it. A broken chain dangles from his hand and Kinno gasps, shocked to see he got it and also happy, her fragmented heart suddenly flooding with love. She gently takes it, her finger tips gently brushing over it as a small smile passes her lips. She gently puts it on and the chain magically heals so it's resting against her chest again. The emerald burst glows brightly before fading and she looks up, frowning to see Riku's more than usual serious face.

"I've come to tell you something important."

"That's all you can do since your being forced to work for Malificent." Kinno says bitterly.

"It pertains to you." Riku counters

"It's what I've been sensing isn't it?" Kinno asks, nervousness gripping her hard.

Riku nods a bit and Kinno visibly cringes, looking away.

_No heart fragments…my limit will break while I'm here and I know I will not like the consequences…_

Riku gently brings Kinno's head up so she can look at him and she meets his gaze steadily.

"Just stay strong alright? If you feel anything different with you, get away from them."

"How will it go away?" Kinno asks in a serious voice.

"I'll help. I may work for Malificent now, but I can still rebel."

Riku looks a little relieved to hear Kinno laugh a little bit.

"I'm sorry I'm the reason you're doing this…" Kinno says quietly and Riku hushes her gently.

"I'm not going to turn my back on you. If working for Malficient keeps you alive, than fine I'll do it."

"But you have to be in hiding! Sora doesn't even know you're alive!" Kinno counters, her emotions running taunt and threatening to consume her.

"I know. But Kinno listen, you need to calm down. You don't have very much of your heart left and the time is wearing down quickly."

"How will I know…?"

"Believe me. You'll know."

Kinno looks away, looking to Shadow who's still trying to jump up onto the mushroom, still having fun and not paying attention to anything else.

"Does knowing the heartless emotions and understand what they say tell my time is almost up?"

"I think that's just a perk of being half heartless…"

Kinno's nervousness returns as she remembers one last question she needs to ask.

"Where will I hide when this starts?"

Riku smiles a little and gently takes her hand. Just minutes later, their back again and Kinno nods a little bit, knowing the small glade is the perfect place to go. Riku tells Kinno he has to go and vanishes from site. Kinno frowns, depression going through her again before she tries to shrug it off and turns, jumping off the lily pad. She lands next to Aurora, who frowns a bit, looking around worriedly.

"You got to help me find Sora. He disappeared."

"Alright." Kinno says happily to hide her sadness.

"So what were you and Riku talking about?" Aurora asks.

"An adventure." Kinno answers nonchalantly, knowing Aurora was listening in.

"Right." Aurora answers and Kinno rolls her eyes a little.

They walk off and enter the Bizarre Room, almost tripping over Sora in the process. Both girls stay close to the boy, feeling disoriented.

"Where are we?" Kinno asks, looking around and feeling dizzy.

Aurora leaves just moments later but before the other two can follow, heartless start swarming around them. Kinno flinches a bit, the continuous chanting of the heartless giving her a headache. She tries to block it out, forming her sword to help Sora fight against the heartless.

**Kinno's POV**

Fighting the heartless was a good way for me to get out the stress of what had happened recently. But that also caused the time limit to break faster. As soon as we were done battling, it started. Something inside my literally snapped and than I was hit with execrating pain. I double over, crying out in pain as I fall to my knees. Pain flows through my body and I slowly lift my head up to look up at Sora who looks at me horrified. My already torn heart shatters completely as I remember what I think Aurora's actions will be when she sees this. So I end up fleeing like a coward. As soon as the first heartless ability is activated, I use it teleport to the glade. I scream out my pain as loud as I can as claws form on my fingers and scales form along my shoulders. The pain fades a little and I think it's over. But it isn't. The pain suddenly intensifies as small black wings rip from my back, directly between my shoulder blades. The wings grow a bit until they reach just a little bit past my shoulders. The pain fades away as I lean over, breathing heavily. My wings drape over me, blood dripping from the tips of the feathers in my wings.

/Kinno…/ A quiet voice chirps.

Shadow…

"Go away!" I hiss in anger, startled at my own voice.

/But…Your friend's are worried about you…/ The quiet voice chirps again.

"Go away! I'm hideous! Neither human nor heartless! I'm a monster! They won't want to be near me!" I cry.

**Normal POV**

Shadow moves closer to where Kinno's huddled up, curled up as tight as she can be with dry blood caked onto her form. He chirps for a few minutes and finally coaxes Kinno to come out into the open. She scoots forward a little bit before kneeling in the middle of the clearing, her head bowed and her wings lying against her back. Her cloths have been torn from her transformation and her yellow eyes are closed against her pain of what's happened to her.

/They won't hate you…/ Shadow chirps.

Kinno's head jerks up, her bloodstained silver hair falling to lie against her back.

"How can you say that!"

/They won't…/

"I'm an abomination! I have no real form! I walk in no world!" Kinno cries, doubling over and digging her claws into her shoulders.

The claws tear straight through the sensitive scales on her shoulders and blood streaks down her arms.

/Stop that! I tell you they won't hate you/ Shadow chirps loudly, alarmed and confused by Kinno's sudden mood swing.

Kinno just growls in answer, looking to her claws before moving them as though to do it again, this time to her wings.

/I'm telling them/ Shadow suddenly threatens.

"No!"

Shadow vanishes and Kinno follows, trying to stop her heartless friend from telling the others what's come over her.

**Kinno's POV**

Shadow had threatened to tell the others of my transformation and the harm I had done to myself in my despair. They wouldn't understand him, but I had to stop him anyway. We appear near the entrance to the Wonderland forest and I hover on my small wings, trying to get used to having them since I have a feeling this won't be the last time I'm in this form. They tire quickly and I land, growling at Shadow who just moves his antennae a bit. Before I even turn I know who it is. The heartless instincts of stealing the purest and most vulnerable heart kick in and I'm sent almost staggering by that all consuming power. After many years of being separated from her brother and seeing everything she knew destroyed, Aurora's heart had no time to recover from learning Sora had survived and had grown up healthy and very much cared for. Add that onto the fact she's worried about me, which I could sense as well, and you have a very distraught half heartless. My yellow eyes meet her worried dark red for a split second before I quickly turn away and teleport back to the glade. I collapse to my knees and slam my fists against the ground, tears falling from my cheeks in a heavy glow as my battered body shakes. Already weak from the abuse of my childhood, I couldn't take the abilities and senses the heartless had. The heartless had an all consuming lust to steal hearts. It was bred into them from birth and though I was half heartless, not born as one, I still felt that lust. Even away from them as I was I still felt it, but I fought it, not wanting to turn them to share my fate. I cry out all my tears and finally just curl up on the ground, fighting my hardest to ignore everything I'm sensing and feeling. After only two minutes, I feel a gentle hand on my back, between my wings. I react savagely, springing up and turning, slashing at whoever it is.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't get away sooner. I almost got caught as it is I meant to come sooner, before the transformation, but I failed." I hear Riku's voice apologize.

The haze in my mind clears but than the instinct hits home stronger since Riku's standing only three feet from me. I feel his sadness at his perceived failure of helping me and my hands clench as I stiffen.

"Just hurt Riku…Before I lose self control and attack you…" I hiss through clenched teeth.

Riku holds out a small fragment of my heart and it comes over to me without me needing to touch it this time. It vanishes into me and instantly I feel the heartless form go back into dormancy. I slowly transform back and collapse to the floor.

**Riku's POV**

The effect had been instantaneous and I catch Kinno as she falls to the floor, unconscious from being restored. The wounds on her shoulders had healed instantly with the transformation back, but the sadness I carried remained. Kinno had harmed herself in her despair and I had failed to protect her. I hold her close to me, resting my head on hers and kissing her hair.

_I'm sorry Kinno…For failing to help you…I knew this would be hard for you…And as soon as you agreed…I vowed to help you in anyway I could…But I have failed…I'm sorry…_

I gently pick her up in my arms, noticing she's lighter than normal before teleporting away. I appear in the forest again and am quickly confronted with Aurora who looks worried.

"Is she okay?" Aurora asks instantly.

"She fell unconscious after she transformed back. I tried to get here sooner, but I couldn't do it." I say sadly, looking away from her.

"It's not your fault. I wasn't there when it happened either." Aurora says, trying to cheer me up, but it's not working.

"I was trying to prevent it from happening, but Malifcent kept me from leaving. I think she's beginning to suspect something." I say guilt still there.

"Like I said, stop worrying."

I notice Aurora messing with something around her neck, but say nothing of it, sadness and guilt still going through me.

My thoughts are divided suddenly as Kinno stirs against me. Surprised to find she's awakened so quickly, I gently set her down as she wakes fully, blinking a few times.

"Kinno! You're awake!" Aurora says with the same amount of surprise.

I notice Kinno looking between us, her own guilt and personal demons flooding through her usually impassive piercing eyes and mentally shake my head.

_If we survive this…Kinno's going to need a lot of help to over come this…And I will be there every step of the way…_

I notice Kinno start suddenly and look at Aurora to see a smile on her lips, directed at Kinno, probably happy to see she's awake. But all the same, I'm startled myself. Aurora had never once smiled when she was on the Island and I find myself blushing just faintly even though it's not directed at me. I quickly get over it though and look to Kinno who meets my gaze, clearly happy to see me but knowing I have info to give her, most likely something she won't like.

"I wish I didn't have to tell you this…But the magic holding you isn't strong this time. You have to get to the next world quickly and get your heart back."

_Before your time limit breaks again…_

I send the silent message through my eyes to her. I can tell she knows from the sudden flash of terror I see flicker across her eyes before she nods a bit.

"Sora's waiting Kinno. He was really worried about you." Aurora pipes up.

I smile inwardly to see her blush faintly and on an impulse, I hug her tightly, pulling her close to me.

"Don't despair and be strong. I won't be back for a while…" I whisper in her ear.

She hugs back, moving her head against the side of mine. She was nuzzling me, a habit she had picked up from our childhood. And she only did it when she was afraid and knew she wouldn't have my support for a while. It was rare, so when she did it, between us, it was special and I took it as such as I gently kiss the side of her head as she moves away from me again. I slowly vanish, one last message going through my eyes as I disappear from my twin's line of site.

_I'm sorry Kinno…_


	4. Chapter 67

I'm finally on Christmas break so I'm celebrating by writing some more on all of my stories. This one is first so I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Read the first two chapters, I'm tired of writing it out every chapter. Cloud belongs to Square-Enix.

_Italics_ thoughts

Legendary Hurt

Chapter 6: Fight with the Hound From Hell

**Kinno's POV**

We were on the ship, heading towards the next world, Olympus Coliseum, The closer we kept getting, made me more and more nervous. I was exhausted from my first transformation into my heartless form and I hadn't gotten approval from either Aurora or Sora. So I sit in the back of the ship, leaning wearily against the wall as I think over events, specifically when I found out Sora was Aurora's brother.

**Flashback**

We were in Traverse Town, recovering from the fights in Deep Jungle. I was exhausted from my rough battle with the leopard, but my mind was in turmoil. Aurora flat out refused to try to get to know Shadow, the baby shadow heartless I had picked up, and I was upset as well, If Aurora refused to get to know this small heartless, what would she do if she were confronted with a full grown half heartless? The thought was tearing me apart and I move my hand into a secret pocket on my pants and bring out a necklace. I lift it above me and let it dangle, the red portions of the half heart playing across my face. My thoughts take a turn, thinking back to our past with Sora.

"I wonder…But their so opposite of each other…That's not so strange…Riku and Sora are opposites too and yet they get along so well…So that shouldn't surprise me…."

I let my arm fall, letting the necklace rest against my stomach as I stare at the ceiling.

"Maybe we'll never find out why he washed up on shore that one day…" I murmur, quite loudly in the quiet room.

"Who washed up on shore?" A new, now familiar voice asks,

I jump, sitting up quickly as Aurora walks in. I hadn't even heard her or I would have stayed quieter. Aurora gives me this little look and I finally sigh, lowering my head a bit.

"Sora did, when we were kids." I finally answer in that same murmur.

"How old was he?" Aurora asks, sitting on the end of my bed.

"5 maybe 6. He didn't know anything expect his name. Not what had happened or where he had come from. So we took him under our wing and found a woman who was kind enough to adopt him, but even though we never really left his side."

I look up after my answer to see Aurora has gotten up and moved out to the balcony of my room. Confused, afraid I had done something wrong, I followed despite my exhaustion. I stand in the doorway of the balcony, watching her as she rests her hands on the railing, looking out over the alleyway.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just…I had a younger brother that disappeared who was around that age…" Is Aurora's quiet answer.

I start a bit to that, my eyes widen. That explained a lot. I could feel a connection between the two immediately after I saw Aurora even though Sora obviously didn't remember her. And as of late, despite all the trouble we had already been in, Sora had been hanging out more with Aurora than me, but that was fine. If Sora was truly Aurora's brother, than they needed to hang out more so that maybe Sora would remember her. My musings are interrupted as Sora runs through the alleyway, chasing after Shadow who's chirping loudly in playfulness, teasing Sora though I'm sure the boy doesn't understand him. They stop at the water and start playing and I smile as I look up at Aurora.

"It's funny…I used to laugh and smile a lot when I was younger…But then after he went missing I just got depressed and it stayed with me."

"If it's true, it might lighten your heart to know he didn't grow up alone. Riku and I were there with him every step of the way, helping him recover from sickness and teaching him all that we know. Even after he was adopted, we stayed with him, keeping him from straying too far into trouble."

Aurora doesn't answer right away, just watching Sora and Shadow before lowering her head a bit.

"Yea, but Sora had something like this. It's the other half of mine."

Aurora takes off a necklace and lets it dangle in front of her. My eyes widen to see it's the other half of the heart that I've been holding for 9 years. I immediately dig out the half I have and let it dangle in front of us. Aurora blinks a bit, tilting her head in question.

"You found that…With Sora?"

"I did. It was lying on his chest, dripping wet just as he was. I took it and hide it. When we asked if he remembered anything and his answer was only his name, I kept it with me, afraid if I showed him, it might hurt him. I was hoping his memory would one-day return so I could return it, but it never did. So I've fallen into the habit, if I'm upset or sad, just as a little while ago, I'll take it out and look at it, thinking about how Sora must have felt that day."

"I thought he looked familiar that day on the beach when you pulled me out."

I smile a bit in remembrance, wondering if Sora didn't get a hint as to who she was since it was she who he had immediately gone over to.

"He's even helped me a lot. I'm not the strongest person around, as you can probably tell." I say, moving my arms out a bit to emphasize the point.

Aurora sits on the railing now, nodding a bit.

"Yea. So what were you talking to yourself about before I came in?"

"About how I've noticed that your both a lot alike, but so completely different, like him and Riku." I answer, letting my arms fall back to my sides.

"How in the worlds are we alike? I don't act like a 6 year old still!" Aurora exclaims, looking back at me and I just grin faintly.

"That might be true. But the few times Sora has acted serious, he acts a lot like you do now." I answer, bringing up the faint memory I have from when I was dying and my remembrance of seeing him in one of my very brief lucid points, his dark blue eyes full of worry and sadness.

"Yea, but I'm usually like this, but I don't think he'd really remember unless we went back. But it's too dangerous."

"You know he's going to start trying to get you to lighten up." I say with a little tone of amusement.

"I'm hiding on the roof than and your not telling him."

Aurora climbs up onto the roof and walks along it, going to the other side. I hide the necklace again and immediately follow, walking along the tiles until I'm standing next to her.

"I never said a word about mentioning to Sora that you're his sister. I'm talking about getting you to laugh again."

"I know what you're talking about." Aurora is quick to answer as she sits with her feet hanging over the edge.

"You won't even let him try? Now that you know he's alive and perfectly healthy, that depression encompassing your heart should evaporate."

I spoke with the empathy since even though I felt her more happier emotions spike throughout this conversation, I could still feel the never ending depression underlying it every time, as if afraid to dare to hope this Sora was the same little boy she had lost all those years ago. I'm startled to see Aurora look up at me, and actually smile, the first since she had come to the Islands not so long ago.

"But it's sometimes fun to act like this and be mysterious." She says with that smile.

**End Flashback**

And from there, the conversation had turned to Shadow's continued attempts at befriending Aurora. I didn't want to remember it, as I stay curled up in the back of the ship, breathing heavily in exhaustion but fighting my body's demand to rest. My left hand is gently playing over the long gash in my right arm, trying to see how much it has healed and I'm disturbed to find out that it's only healed enough to where the bone isn't exposed anymore and it's not bleeding. But it's still as deep as before. I lift my head up a bit to Aurora telling Sora to stop dozing off at the controls of the ship and smile faintly. Looks like I wasn't the only one tired out from this trip. We eventually make it to the Coliseum and I go on ahead, letting the two siblings bicker a bit as I walk through the lobby and into the grounds. As I slowly walk closer to the arena, I'm suddenly grabbed around the throat and my head is forced back so I'm staring into startling bright blue eyes, familiar bright blue eyes. Faded memories of a man with worried blue eyes come to my head as I choke loudly when he tightens his hold on me.

"Cloud! What are you doing? Put her down! Where in the worlds have you been! Aeris has been looking for you since you left!"

Cloud…That name was familiar to me somehow. My memory of my past was sketchy and hazy and anything I saw or remembered from it was blurry and confusing. As I try to dig deeper into it, a sudden echoing high pitched whistle goes through my mind and the memory fades. Cloud finally loosens his hold a bit on my throat and I gasp loudly, coughing as I try to breathe again,

"I'm under a contract and she's involved." His deep voice answers, looking to Aurora.

I see recognition flicker in his eyes as he looks at her than back to me and I suddenly growl a bit.

"Because of my heart? You have it, I want it. What do I have to do?" I ask coldly, angered that someone I guess I had known in my past in some way, was being used this way.

"Transform." He answers simply,

"No!" I instantly protest.

In minutes I would no longer have a choice. My chest was tightening in fear as the countdown drew closer and closer. The transformation was close and I was terrified.

"Damnit Cloud! Call it off and let her go!" Aurora yells.

"I can't. If I do, my heart gets taken." Cloud answers in a remorseful tone.

The longer I'm held by him, the more I take tell something within me is reacting. It's not my heartless side, threatening to break free. It's something else, something much more sinister that makes me flinch, my green eyes widen as I feel it suddenly disappear, as if it were never there. I hear Cloud's statement and look down.

"Fine…"

Cloud lets me go and I walk away from them going to the other side of the arena. I lift my head up, giving myself up freely this time to the painful transformation. But it doesn't hurt any less. I feel that snap again and double over, crying out as pain surges through my body. I collapse to my knees as my claws form on my fingers, stretching out before curling in as a clutch my hand in pain, curling up as I cry out again. Scales form, this time going down to my elbows instead of just covering my shoulders. I cry out even louder as my wings rip from my back, a bit longer now and dripping blood, They flick out, throwing the blood around me before curling down to drape over me as I breathe raggedly, exhaustion coursing through me as I force myself up, glaring at Cloud with golden yellow eyes.

**Cloud's POV**

I gaze upon the young woman in front of me, looking past her form and that hateful glare that she places on me. My memories swing back in time, to a quiet town that had a dark history. I can vividly remember the woman with her two young children I had helped to save and I smile inwardly, meeting the girl's blazing golden eyes. She may have hated me now for making her do this, but in time, she would learn that I was the one who helped her stay alive. I gesture to the arena and Kinno goes into it without a word. As the barrier forms around it, I gaze around the arena, pointedly ignoring Aurora who was glaring at me. As I gaze around, I start a bit to see someone sitting on the very top of the arena wall. Silver hair shining faintly in the sunlight and piercing eyes staring down to watch his twin go through the tournament alone. I can't help but get an image of someone else as I look upon him though the image is distorted as I watch him watch her. Again my memory swings back and I can clearly see both of them as toddlers. One ill the other fiercely clutching his mother's hand, as if trying to protect her through touch. The young man moves his head, his piercing eyes settling onto mine and the image I get is destroyed as I see a very vivid fear and sadness go across his whole face before he simply turns his head away, vanishing from site. The older twin had turned out nothing like him, but the younger had turned out to be a lot like her…The woman I was truly searching for who had left my hometown 13 years ago to try and keep her young ones from perishing…

**Sora's POV**

The second time seeing her transform was no easier than the first time. Her screams echo painfully in my head, reminding me of the time she was dying, screaming in fear to end the never-ending heat she felt from her high fever. Looking at her, standing there, glaring at Cloud, I'm surprised to find myself thinking, that even though she's supposed to be a frightful creature, she actually looks really pretty. The form's obviously not fully developed yet, judging by the wings but already she seems to have adapted well to it. I gasp in surprise as she goes into the arena. I had missed something and that thought was disturbing as she starts fighting, her claws tearing effortlessly through the many heartless.

**Normal POV**

Angered, yet fearful, Kinno was doing her best to hold her own against the many hordes of heartless that kept charging at her. Unable to use her new sword because of her claws, she is forced to get used to a different way of fighting, now much more close range than she's used to. It results in many injuries for the already exhausted girl and as soon as no more heartless show up, she weaves a bit on her feet turning to glare at Cloud who meets her gaze calmly. A pang of familiarity hits her again as she struggles not to show any weakness to him, standing up and pulling her wings in, flinching in pain.

"Am I done yet?" She asks harshly, her voice now a lot harsher and colder than her normally quiet and light voice.

"You have one more fight." He answers and snaps his fingers.

Kinno turns around as a gate opens than gasps in shock as the arena disappears from around her. A giant three headed dog steps out from behind the gate and her wings snap back out in shock.

"Cloud, you can't do that to her! You can't even beat Cerberus! You can't expect her to!"

Aurora cries, fear in her dark red eyes.

"If she succeeds, she gets her heart back." Cloud answers and Kinno steps back as the dog steps forward, growling.

"Kinno be careful! It's a death dog of Hell! Plus it spits fire!" Aurora yells and Kinno's wings twitch as she nods, stowing away the fire comment for memory.

"Thanks for the warning!" Kinno calls back and gets into a fighting stance, her body trembling in exhaustion as she waits for the first move.

The dog spits out a fireball at her and Kinno flies up to evade it. Her wings, a little larger than before, still can't hold her for long periods. So she takes the chance and flies behind the large dog and lands on it's back, her weight nothing to him and hurries up to it's heads, keeping low and moving carefully. She watches carefully, seeing Aurora and Sora talking quietly and seriously and listens to the dog growl in confusion to her disappearance. She stands up and lashes out, clawing at one of the heads and tearing off an ear. Blood seeps from the wound, getting onto her claws as the dog howls in rage and pain, trying to throw her. She ducks down and hangs on as he throws his heads, trying to shake her off but she hangs on, knowing if she falls, she's lost it all. She moves more and tears another ear off, gaining another howl of rage and pain. He starts tossing his heads again, and Kinno, unable to gain a good purchase fast enough, is thrown to the floor. She lands on the ground on her side and she turns on her back, gasping in pain. Her eyes widen before she cries out in pain as the dog steps on her, pressing down to try and crush her.

"Kinno! Cloud call it off!" Aurora cries.

"No!" Kinno yells back as best as she can as her chest is crushed.

"You'll be killed!" Sora tries to reason.

"I want to fight!" Kinno counters and stabs her claws into the dog's foot.

He howls and steps back, getting off of her. She gets up slowly, coughing loudly as she weaves even more, her eyes half closing in exhaustion before she forces herself to stay awake and keep fighting, glaring at the dog as it growls at her. Ignoring all around her, including her rapidly increasing weakness, she springs forward, flying up without warning and slashing at the one of the dog's noses. He growls in pain and tries to snap at her but she moves, going to his back. She lands just as her wings give out and she lifts her head a bit, frowning in question to see Aurora pouting a bit at Cloud who looks uncomfortable. She moves on though, her mind going blank to block them all out and concentrate only on her fighting. She claws at the junction between the three heads and the neck and it gets more of a reaction as the dog howls in pain, rearing on it's hind legs to try and throw her. She digs into his shoulder with her claws to avoid it but is still badly shaken when he lands. She climbs back up and slashes at one of the dog's muzzles, slashing all the way to it's neck and moves back, trying to avoid the fireballs he suddenly spits out. But they home in on her and she screams in pain as they three fired hit her, burning her badly and causing her to lose what little grip she has. The dog shakes again and Kinno gets sent flying. She hits the bleachers and lays still, her whole left side burned and her senses are overloaded from pain.

"Cloud! Call it off! You know she wouldn't want you to do this!" Aurora's desperate voice breaks through Kinno's haze and she slowly opens her eyes.

Kinno slowly lifts her head up to meet Cloud's gaze and is more than shocked to see a desperate, yet quiet fear in his bright eyes. Something was horribly wrong and Kinno snaps her head up to look at Cerberus as the dog snaps his teeth at her. She scoots away, just barely missing getting bit before she flaps her small wings and flies up, flying to avoid the dog as he keeps trying to bite her.

"Cerberus! I command you to stop!" Cloud's deep voice yells and Kinno pales when the dog just growls, still trying to bite her.

She lands, shock playing across her face as Sora suddenly jumps in, slashing viciously at the dog.

**Kinno's POV**

Why…? Why were they so concerned about me? Why did they care to help me when I'm just a monster? I cry out in pain again as I get hit with another fireball, Sora's vicious attacks not even to stop him from getting off that one attack.

"Kinno! Get out of there!" Aurora cries.

I sensed her fear that I would dive back into the fight. Truth be told, normally I would. I never ran away, even if I knew I would be killed. This time, I'm too worn out to even stand a fighting chance. I fly up on hurting wings and fly shakily over to where Aurora and Cloud were. I land and stagger, starting to fall. Aurora catches me and holds me up, careful not to turn the burns that cover half of my body. Through the haze of pain, old instincts return and my head pounds in anger as I fight off those instincts to the best I can. But it's not enough. Behind Aurora's head, I see my claws begin to glow black, my body acting on it's own, desperate to get the heart to replenish it's self. I clutch my hand, shaking in an effort to fight back. Aurora just holds me closer, asking something of Cloud quietly but I miss it as I slowly lean my head against her chest, not meeting her gaze as she looks down at me.

"You…don't hate me?" I ask quietly, feeling a surge of pain as well as surprise.

"Why would I hate you? Your one of the first friends I've had in years." She answers, surprise coloring her voice.

"You hate the heartless for what they did, destroying your family and life. I'm half heartless because I sacrificed myself to save Riku." I answer in a barely audibly whisper.

"Kinno…Your still my friend…" She whispers back.

I look up at her in shock. I felt her sincerity, but my mind was in a whirl, I couldn't be sure if my senses were telling truth. I had to get away from them. I had to figure this out on my own. A thought crosses my mind, despair spreading through me. What if Aurora was saying that out of pity? To try and calm me down? She gently nudges me and I blink.

"I think Clouy was something to give back to you." She says quietly and I look over my shoulder.

My heart fragment! Now I didn't have to stay in this cursed form! I pull away from Aurora and stand up as tall as I can with my injuries. Cloud holds the fragment out to me and I let the fragment come to me with no hesitation. It disappears in me and I feel the gentle barrier around my heartless form repair it's self, for now. I breathe deeply, the transformation melting off of me and healing all my wounds. But now human, the exhaustion hit harder than it had before. I fall back, a quiet moan of pain escaping my lips. But I'm caught again by Aurora who helps me stay standing as Sora finally comes back, a hard look in his blue eyes. He's succeeded in making the dog back off for now and gently takes me from Aurora, holding me close as if afraid for me. I'm too tired to protest anything as after a brief talk with Cloud, they lead me back to the ship. I close my eyes tightly, breathing deeply but silently as I try not to completely break down in front of them. I fail partly. Tears run silently down my cheeks as my emotions threaten to consume me, blocking out reason. They get me onto the ship and gently sit me down. My tears have stopped and as soon as I'm sitting down, I drift off to sleep, finally letting my exhaustion take over my body and shut it down.

Chapter 7: A Heartfelt Talk

**Kinno's POV**

I couldn't sleep. I mean, I did sleep, but it was fitful and not restful in the least. A few hours after returning to Traverse, I couldn't take it anymore. I left my room and went to the roof. My thoughts run rampant again and I shudder in mental pain, tearing myself up about all that's happened.

"I'm a monster, neither human nor heartless. I'm a danger to everyone around me." I mumble out loud to the wind, my quiet voice sounding ice cold.

Minutes later I leave the roof and head down to the alleyway. The waterway's open to me, despite previously being locked, and I go into it, swimming quickly through the water and coming to the rocks. I sit down and just dangle my feet in the water, running my hand through my long hair.

Damnit…I didn't want this to happen…Riku's a slave to Malificent now…I know I'm killing my body with this constant worrying…But for all I know Aurora and Sora are scared of me and won't admit it…

And yet I can remember at one point in my sleep, the one time I had slept peacefully I could hear an implacable voice speaking to me.

"I'm not afraid of you Kinno. I'm afraid for you…"

In my sleep, I couldn't place the voice. I still couldn't, but I knew it was someone friendly for I had fallen into a healing sleep right after it. It didn't last long but it helped. Something gentle brushes across my senses suddenly and I look up in question, my eyes falling to the mural at the end of the next tunnel. That same gentle brush comes again, actually soothing the turmoil rolling through me. I stand up and walk back into the water, walking towards the mural. The cool water gently caresses the skin of my legs, sending faint shivers up my spine but I ignore it, wanting to find the thing that was soothing me. I reach the mural and very gently brush my fingers up against it. Rough stone is what I feel as well as a soothing song. I hear something move and turn back, surprise coloring my face as I see a platform that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. I head towards it anyway, a tender tug on my mind guiding me. Once I reach the platform, I climb up onto it and stand silently, not surprised when it rises back up. It takes me up to a small, cluttered room. And yet, as I look around, I feel peaceful, for once. I see a bed and go over to it, lying down on the top of it. Now, sure that I won't be found, I finally cry out all of my anxiety and fear. Tears roll down my cheeks and onto the pillow as I curl up on my side, finally letting it all go. After a little while, I feel a gentle touch to my back, and thanks to my recent transformations, I start violently. My back had become sensitive to touch because of my wings and I didn't like the feeling it gave me, so I react, sitting up and almost lashing out at who touched me. I stop myself though and find myself gazing at an old man who's gently smiling at me.

"Oh! I didn't know! I'll go…" I stammer in surprise, truly not thinking anyone lived here.

"No please stay. You're depressed and if you're willing to talk, I'm willing to listen." The man says gently, smiling still.

Unable to draw away from this mysterious man, I sit back down on the bed, looking down.

**Sora's POV  
**

Kinno has a very bad tendency to beat herself up for things that aren't her fault. From the first transformation to the end of the second, I saw those tale tell signs, but I could do nothing to comfort her. I mean how could I? I didn't know, couldn't even pretend, I understood what she was going through every time she transformed. She was drawing away from us in a desperate attempt to keep herself from a mental breakdown but I didn't want that. I wanted to help her in anyway I could, even if I couldn't understand her pain…I wanted to give her that shoulder to cry on if she needed. So when Aurora came in, waking me up to tell me that Kinno had disappeared again, I was saddened that the pain had overwhelmed her to the point she felt she had to do so. We started running through the district to find the wayward girl and eventually came to the waterway. I had skipped coming down here because it was closed off, but Aurora managed to get in, so I followed. We get to the rocks and Aurora immediately goes to the stairs, looking up at the ceiling.

"Merlin? Open up!" Aurora calls, throwing a rock up at the ceiling.

Confusion goes through me as I watch her; unsure of what she's trying to do.

"Merlin! Send down the lift!" Aurora calls again, trying again.

"Maybe…Kinno's up there and he's trying to calm her down…Maybe we should leave them alone…" I suggest quietly, suddenly self-conscious for no reason.

"Probably plus he built the walls like 3 feet thick."

I grin in sudden amusement to hear that grumble but I don't know why. Maybe it showed she was returning to normal instead of being the sad girl she had been recently. My amusement turns to question as she gazes at me with a little head tilt.

"What?"

"You should get some more sleep Sora. You look tired."

"Well you did wake me up from my nap." I retort.

"So what if I did?" Aurora teases than sticks her tongue out at me.

She than takes off to the hotel. I start to follow but that's when the lift decides to finally come down.

**Kinno's POV**

I had stayed with Merlin for what seemed like hours, just talking out everything that had happened recently, from the destruction of the Islands, to the end of my second transformation and everything in between. As I stood on the lift, hesitant to go down, one part of the conversation staying with me as I wait.

**Flashback**

"Afraid of what?" The old man asks.

We were talking about my transformations and I had finally revealed, out loud, to someone, why my mind was in so much torture.

"Being condemned and hated. The heartless destroyed Aurora's life and took away everything she knew. They are the reason Riku can't be seen by Sora anymore. Both have reasons to hate the heartless and I'm one of them now. I'm afraid of being turned on but I'm even more afraid of attacking them."

I couldn't help it. I started crying again. He eventually managed to soothe me. And kept the conversation going.

"Have you asked them how they felt about these transformations?" He asks, gently wiping the tears from my eyes.

"I asked Aurora and she said she didn't. At the time, I sensed truth but I was also in so much pain and turmoil…it could have been my own imagination."

"Why don't you just come straight out and ask them?" He suggests, gently rubbing my back.

I fight back the urge to shiver as he does this, slumping forward in despair.

"But what about the senses? The instincts? I feel everything they do and every time I come near them, I get this overpowering urge to take their hearts. I mean, I almost attacked Riku the first time!"

"Maybe you three can find a way to fight against this if you just talk it out. I'm sure you'll find them to be very open."

"Why do you say that?" I ask in confusion.

"Because they're looking for you." Is his smiling answer.

**End Flashback**

Which leads me to standing on the lift. I finally take a deep breath and Merlin lets the lift go down, seeing I'm ready. My eyes land on the bright, happy ones of Sora and I'm subjected to his tight hug before the lift is even at the bottom of its descent.

"Your okay!" He says happily.

My mind swings back in time to when he first washed up on the Islands. After getting over the initial fear of his amnesia, he had quickly shown himself to be very upbeat and outgoing. As well as affectionate. As I return his hug, I mentally whisper a "thank you" to him. For even if he hates me, he helped pull Riku and me out of the abyss we were quickly falling into. And though I just want to hold him forever and never ask the question plaguing me, I know I have to.

**Sora's POV**

Kinno was okay! Well…somewhat okay. As she pulls back I can see that describable terror in her eyes again and I mentally sigh. We were taking steps back, not forward.

"Sora…I have a serious question…And I want a serious answer."

She knew me too well but I knew this was important to her. I could tell by how she was gazing at me, fear yet apprehension clearly shown.

"Sure, what is it?" I answer.

"Do you have me because of my heartless transformation?"

Though I knew it was coming eventually, I was still shocked to hear her ask it. It was because of her that I had a place to live after I woke on the Islands, with no previous memories expect my name. Though going through a mute phase at the time, it was her I had run to when I had nightmares or was just plain scared. And it was her I was currently crushing on.

"No. I don't hate you. I'm afraid for you and the only real thing I hate is the pain you go through when you transform. But just because you're a heartless…I don't hate you."

"Even though I could attack you and take your heart from you?" She questions, pressing me to see if my words rang true.

"Even though. We'll find your heart Kinno and get you back to yourself…Just don't despair…Stay who you were while we try…" I whisper back with sincerity and conviction, smiling brightly.

My heart soars even more to see her finally return it, her pale face lighting up as she smiles back.

**Kinno's POV**

My heart was soaring. My empathy was telling me Sora was telling the truth and I was so relieved to hear his words. But now that just left Aurora, which deflates my happiness a little bit.

"Sora! Did you fall in the water and drown or something!" Aurora's voice echoes through the tunnel.

"No! Just talking to someone about something and she needs your input too!" Sora calls back and I groan quietly to his words.

Within seconds, I see Aurora's dark red eyes peeking curiously at us before lighting up. She runs over and hugs me and in that instant I see the familiarities between her and Sora even more. If only Aurora chose to display them more openly…

"Don't take off like that! You scared me half to death!"

And yet Aurora could be so motherly too…it was a comfort to me and I smile, hugging her back gently.

"I just…needed to release everything. And I did. But…I need to hear it again. Do you hate me because of my transformation, even with you knowing I could turn and attack you without a word?"

I wait for Aurora's answer and she returns my gaze steadily, never flinching and never looking away.

"I already told you. I could never hate you. Your one of the first friends I've had in years."

"I know and I remember though my mind wasn't fully there since I was so hurt…but even with the risk of being attacked, you don't care?"

Aurora shakes her head, smiling very faintly. I smile brightly again, a heavy burden lifting from my shoulders as my empathy dies down a little bit, leaving me with the memory of the truthful words of the two.

**Normal POV**

"Now aren't you two supposed to be resting?" Aurora asks of the two of them.

"I'm full rested, I feel fine." Kinno lies through her teeth.

"Bed now! March!"

It takes only minutes for the two to be in the hotel and supposedly resting. Sora's fast asleep but Kinno's mind is still too active. So she heads to the roof where she sits and watches the stars, her hand playing over the gash in her arm again,

"I hope Riku's not getting hurt too much because of me…"

She lounges on the roof for a little bit before turning on her back and drifting off to sleep. Her necklace's glow brightens briefly before gently going back to its normal glow, the faint emerald color just barely playing over Kinno's face as she sleeps peacefully, finally.


	5. Chapter 89

Here's a little recommended reading. Endless Hurt from Arichos, featuring a whole different side to Kairi's story on why she washed up on shore on the Islands. Granted it's not that far yet but I think you'll like it.

Disclaimer: Read the first few chaps. I'm not doing it anymore.

A/N: I couldn't think of a really good way to do the first chap so I just decided to jump from the middle to the beginning until they overlap. I know it's confusing but I hope I marked it well enough so you can understand it. And Aurora, I'm hope you remember something about what I put in here!

Chapter 8: The World of Water

**Kinno's POV**

In atmosphere, this was the calmest place I had been since the Islands had been destroyed. However, that masked how hard it was to fight. Currently back in my heartless form again and fighting for my heart fragments, I couldn't help but think back to what had lead us up to this. Me fighting the sea witch Ursula who was using every tactic she could to throw me off and Sora fighting the eels so I only had to focus on my fight.

**Flashback**

It had to have been one of the ugliest worlds I had been to so far. We had stopped in Agrabah after resting in Traverse for a while. Coming upon the world, I was told what I most feared. It was a desert world, which meant high heat. It brought back delirious memories but also sent me down a path of terror. I wasn't cut out for this place…And that became apparent as soon as we stepped out of the ship. A blast of hot air hit me and immediately took my breathe away. There was no way I would survive this without transforming again and as we walk a little ways from the safety of the ship, I find myself thinking I would be glad to transform just to survive the blistering heat. I throw out my senses though, letting my fragmented heart call out to this world but remarkably I get nothing back in response. There was nothing for us here which meant we could leave, so we do. I had to rest though…Being in the heat had zapped my strength and had broken down part of the barrier inside of me. During the time I was phasing in and out a bit, Aurora and Sora started talking to one another, I would say conspiring against me to pull a prank, but I knew the situation was too serious for that. I was down and out for a while and we still had a war to win.

**End Flashback**

It was quite a shock to finally find out what they were planning. And it turned out to be the best experience for me thus far…Up until now. Ursula's taunts were starting to get to me; to the point I cry out in anger and stab my claws into her shoulder. A sharp pain went through me in the same moment and I look down a little to find she had stabbed her claws into my shoulder as well but lower. I cough, looking pained as I felt my pierced lung scream in pain. The puncture was small, but it hurt like Hell as blood began to slowly fill my lung. Ursula throws me away from her and I fly back, hitting a wall. I slump to the floor and phase out slightly again, remembering more of this adventurous place.

**Flashback**

We had finally arrived at this wondrous world, called Alantica I think…If I heard Aurora right. A water world, the perfect place to finally get that deep ache to swim out of my system. But I wasn't sure how to get in. Should I jump in or push someone first than jump in? That was answered when I get pushed into the water from someone. After surfacing, I cough and turn to see both Aurora and Sora laughing but the touch to my back had been smooth, not rough. But I figured, what the Hell? I splashed water on both of them and smirk to hear them both yelp in shock. I laugh more, almost falling back under the surface when Aurora pushes Sora in than jumps in herself to splash both of us. I was having so much fun playing around that I didn't noticed the most important detail of coming to this world until Aurora points it out after I dunk her.

"Hey Kinno, look at your legs." She comments offhandedly.

I blink in surprise than move my legs up. Shock quickly goes across my face as I see a bright silver mermaid tail fin. I gently stroke over the scales in surprise before looking up. Aurora's tail fin is purple and she's flipping the tail a bit before looking to Sora.

"Sora! Put a shirt on!" She yelps and Sora blushes in embarrassment, going under the water.

I dive under the follow, blinking to see Sora's tail fin is blue. Now came the fun part. Learning to swim with our new limbs and not bump into anything. That was a lot easier said than done believe me. By the time we were done, each of us sported a few cuts from running into the walls.

**End Flashback**

I finally wake up fully to see Ursula swimming down near me. I was close to hating this witch as much as Malificent, for trying to turn me against my friends again after I had so soon found they still cared for me despite my form. But at the moment I couldn't fight, nor attack. My heart was pounding, my breathing heavy and pained as my one lung continued to fill with my vital fluid, choking me and causing fire to shoot through my chest. I see the witch smirk before I phase out a little again; falling into a daze as I remember more of what happened leading up to this fight.

**Flashback**

I finally got to see my twin again. He had escaped from Malificent again and had come to visit me again. I tackled him immediately on sight and we rolled in the water from my tackle. After we were done rolling, I hugged him tightly; happy to see he didn't have many more marks on him than before.

"Come on." He says and gently pulls on my wrist.

I go willingly with him, flapping my fin to keep up with him so I'm not letting him pull my full weight. We get to a secluded part of the multiple caves of Alantica and Riku turns to me, actually smiling for once. Not a sad one either, but a genuine happy one. It had been so long since I had seen it, I vowed right than and there I would die if I had to just to see that smile on my brother's face again. It pained me greatly to see that he was slowly falling backing into what he was before Sora's arrival, an emotionless protector who only showed his feelings to those he held very close to his heart. I didn't want to see that happen again. Once was bad enough. I push the thoughts out of my mind to focus on my brother as he speaks with a happy tone.

"I was wondering when you would come." He says playfully.

He was teasing me! I should hurt him but I wouldn't dare, not with the bruises he already has. So instead…

"This place is wonderful! I love it!"

Okay…not a great comeback but it succeeded in getting him to smile all the more. He gently puts a hand on my forehead and I flick my tail fin a bit as I look curious.

"I have something for you." He says.

"What is it?"

"A suppressant. I can tell the spell's almost off, I can sense it even now. So this will dampen your heartless instincts."

"So I don't have to worry?" I ask in excitement.

"Only until you leave since your affinity is for water."

I didn't care. I finally didn't have to worry about attacking the others when I transformed, even if it was for one time. I felt thrilled, but it was dampened by the fact Riku had stolen the knowledge to give it to me. As the spell is casted over me, I feel sad. If he was found out, he would be hurt again and where would that get us? I hated seeing him getting hurt because he didn't want to see me hurt. It's a never ending cycle of wishing and pain and I flip my tail, hugging tightly to Riku suddenly.

"Be careful…" I whisper, nuzzling against the side of his head a little.

Though tense at first, probably because I had grabbed onto a few wounds on his back I just noticed, he returns the hug just as tightly, lowering his head a bit.

"I will be. If I get caught this time…I'm really in trouble…" He murmurs than flicks his tail and swims out of my grasp.

I watch him in sorrow as he turns away and vanishes from site.

**End Flashback**

I woke again to the witch's screeching voice in my ears. I'm shocked she hadn't tried to finish off the job of killing me. But than, she was probably waiting until I drowned in my own blood. I hated her voice though. Without a thought, I flap my tail and swim up, catching her off guard and placing my claws to her throat. Glad to see her shocked look, I mutter something before plunging my claws into her throat, killing her. Watching the heart fragment float in front of me, I know I can't take it…

**Flashback**

We had finally found a place to stop and rest. The barrier was cracking around my other form and it hurt, more so than normal, enough to where it could be seen I was in pain. Aurora had gone off on her own to explore while Sora stayed with me, lasting out the transformation. Again the pain was no less than what it had been previously, but it was changed because I was a mermaid. My tail fin became more shark-like in a way, with part of what looked like a dorsal fin on it. But no other difference, other than that and the new addition of fangs, was present. Only minutes after, Aurora arrived, bumping into Sora and causing him to jump. As I watch them talk a little, I slump over, exhausted again. Damn, why did this take so much out of me? It drained my about halfway each time. But I have to say, that spell Riku casted on me is working like a charm. That once overpowering urge to take the hearts of those around me is no longer there and I can actually function without thinking about it. I finally shake off the exhaustion as much as I could and look up at Aurora to see her fiddling with her half of the necklace. Knowing what Sora's reaction would be at the moment, I swim near Aurora and as I pass her…

"If you keep messing with it, he'll notice. If you let it hang free, he won't notice." I whisper to her to get her to stop.

Aurora's answer is that she only messes with it when she's nervous or thinking about something. So naturally I ask her what she's thinking about since she quickly adds she's not nervous. She mentions that she ran into a group of heartless while wandering but they made no move to attack. I'm confused…unless Riku told them to back off of us. But we don't get much time to ponder as Sora gives us the clear and we follow him to Ursula's lair. The witch and her eels come forward and I just freeze. I had never fought a main enemy in my heartless form and I find that hatred…That evil too much to bear in this form for the first time. Sora snaps me out of it and I start fighting Ursula. But she quickly changes tactics…

"You know your friends don't care for you right?" She asks in an offhanded manner.

Confusion as well as a hidden terror runs through me and I freeze again, getting distracted. I'm brought back to reality by the sharp bite of my skin getting slashed open across my face. Ursula had slapped me, using her nails to tear open my cheek.

"They care nothing for you. Their just using you." She taunts, staying near me so she doesn't have to raise her voice.

"They accept me!" I hiss back, growling.

"But what about that girl with you? Where is she when you need her?" Ursula asks.

I turn to look at the entrance to find Aurora has left her spot. Though suddenly hurt a bit, I knew she would get bored and leave. She wasn't a fighter. She had the body for it if she choose to pursue it, but at the moment, she was…Not softhearted…But more…Just not ready for it yet…

**End Flashback**

Which lead us back to now. After that comment, that's when I had stabbed Ursula through her shoulder and in turn she got me, piercing my lung. Now it had gotten to the point, every single breathe was a hard labor and I was starting to feel slightly faint from lack of air, but it hadn't reached critical again. And I was too stubborn to say anything out loud.

"Kinno! What are you doing!"

That would be Sora, questioning me on why I haven't taken back my heart pieces. But I couldn't. I could still sense one more piece out there and changing back exhausted any and all energy that I had left. Granted it would heal my wound, I couldn't pass up the fourth piece. So I refused to take it. However, I suddenly feel a gentle touch to my mind and blink in surprise. I knew that touch somehow…A gentle prod makes me turn towards Aurora and my surprise grows as I see Riku at the cave entrance, now holding my heart pieces. He smiles faintly and vanishes, leaving us to our own. A feeling of happiness goes through me, only to be quickly replaced with pain as I curl up, holding tightly to my shoulder. Progressively it had been getting worse and now, no longer fighting; it hit me all at once. My heart was racing in fear as I labor to breathe, trying to ignore the feeling of panic.

"Damn witch…That hurt…" I groan in pain, not completely realizing I had spoken that out loud.

It gets Aurora's attention who moves over to me to see my wound. I uncurl at her request, letting her see the damage Ursula did to me. It's gotten so bad; I can't mask just how bad it truly is.

"Sora! Kinno needs help! She needs to be healed or something!" Aurora calls, a hint of panic in her voice.

"It won't work…Not like this…" I say back, already imaging the pain that would be inflicted by Sora's very meager healing magic.

And I didn't want that mental burden on him, so I refuse to even let him try though he keeps insisting. My senses flare and I look up.

"She's ready for us…"

"You better be careful. You better be too Sora, or I'll kill you when you come back." Aurora threatens.

"We will be. When we come back, I'll be healed and back to normal. So have fun."

We wave and swim off, heading to a big clearing in the caves, leaving wide open space for us to fight.

**Sora's POV**

Kinno's stubbornness has an odd time of showing it's self. Upon getting to the battle field, she immediately told me to stay out, wanting to get retribution herself for what that witch tried to do. I try to convince her otherwise but she refuses. So I let her go…Big mistake. Despite her injury and how it's affected her, she still fights to the best that she can. But having to get so close to successfully attack, she ends up getting more injured. At one point, I swim forward and grab her tail, pulling her back. I knew what happened when your tail is pulled, Aurora did it to me earlier in our trip and Kinno's reaction is the exact same as mine.

"OW! Sora!" She yells in pain, instantly flipping her tail to try and break free.

I hold on, pulling her back until I grab her and swim her away a little ways.

"What are you doing?" She hisses but I take no hurt to her tone of voice.

"You're getting too injured to keep fighting. Let me take over."

A faint growl comes back from her but it doesn't last. Her chest is heaving, just trying to draw in any air at all and her lips are tinted a very faint blue from lack of air. I instantly swim off to fight Ursula before Kinno died from lack of air. Remarkably I do finish her off quickly and hurriedly bring Kinno's heart piece over to her. She's slumped over, her eyes barely open and I have to gently prod her a few times to get her to respond to me at all. When she finally does, her wings twitch in a familiar, agitated manner as she blinks a few times to focus, looking up at me.

"If I may, I would like to present you with your highly valued heart, my lady." I say to her in a tone of respect, just hoping to gain a smile since I know she can't laugh.

It works and she smiles, as much as she's able around her pain. She straightens and I hold her heart out to her. It instantly sinks into her chest and she lets out a faint sigh as her transformation seems to literally melt off of her, leaving her as the beautiful girl I had come to know as I grew up. But I began to grow alarmed when her breathing didn't ease. In fact it seems to become strangled. She gasps in pain, her piercing eyes narrowing in reaction to it.

"Kinno!" I call out, trying to break her out of it.

She gives one more gasp before slumping forward, laying limp in the water. I grab onto her and turn her over, looking at her worriedly. Now unconscious, she seems peaceful. Her body not fighting its internal struggle now. The shoulder was healed though, so why was it so difficult for her? I swim off, hoping to gain the answers. I go back to Aurora and she looks very worried as I swim up. I explain to her what happened and after agreeing Kinno needs rest, we swim up to the surface. After surfacing, Kinno starts coughing harshly and blood trickles down her cheek, only to land in the water again. Oh…So that explained that. We get her out of the water and gently lay her near the back of the ship so she can rest undisturbed on our way back to Traverse Town.

Chapter 9: Aurora's Kidnapping

**Riku's POV**

How could I have been so stupid? I took a large risk and got caught. Now I was paying the price. I stand in the lab, in front of the dead portal and glare openly at Malificent who's livid. During one of the few lonely times I had, I had found a book in one of the rooms. Flipping through it, I had found something of interest and didn't hesitate to give it to Kinno. Reflecting, I should have given her the full thing instead of just the first page and upon my return, I had sat down to read the rest. That's when Malificent found me. She had seen the first ripped page and unleashed her wrath. Now I was standing in front of her, trying to stay steady as blood slowly dripped from me. She had taken her staff and tore a deep gash in my arm, matching Kinno's perfectly and had allowed me no chance to heal or bandage it as she told me what she wanted me to do.

"I want you to kidnap the girl."

Confusion crosses my fogged mind. Which girl? I knew if it was Kinno, she'd attack Malificent first chance she got because of all that had happened. If it was Aurora…She'd try to stay with me to comfort me.

"Not your beloved twin." She finally answers.

Awareness quickly strikes through me, breaking the fog that had incased me.

"You want me to kidnap Aurora?" I question.

At her nod, I growl in anger.

"No! I won't try to break them up! Not when there the only thing from keeping my sister from the breaking point!"

My argument wasn't a very good one. Malificent didn't care about what happened to my twin, as long as I stayed working for her. Trying to keep both of us alive and ahead of the game had proved to the witch I was valuable but that didn't stop her from trying to keep me in line in the harshest ways.

"You will or…"

She moves to the side and my heart skips a beat, seeing the half of Kinno's heart that had stayed here. I watch in terrified silence as Malificent moves her staff up and puts the point end to the center of it.

"I will kill your sister."

I instantly stand down. I lower my head in submission and she grins, moving away.

"Kidnap her and bring her here."

I nod and vanish, happy to be away from her. I appear on a rooftop in Traverse near the hotel. The bleeding had finally stopped from my arm, but I was so worn out from blood loss and survival, I was swaying where I crouched. Ever since this all started, I hardly had time to sleep, so afraid was I that Malificent would take back her deal and kill Kinno as I slept. I had to be on guard every minute to make sure my sister, the only official family I had left, stayed alive to see this through. The sound of footsteps shattering the silence draws me out of my musings. I blink once, lifting my gaze as the door to the third district is opened and a now familiar girl walks through. Dark purple hair and ever sad dark red eyes marked this girl as very unique. The dark magic in me stirs angrily just at seeing her, but I take no heed. It did the same when I was around Kinno as well. I wait till she walks up to the railing of the stairs before acting. I teleport down behind her, ignoring the déjà vu I get as I grab Aurora and pull her back, covering her mouth. I teleport both of us away and appear in a random room in Hollow Bastion, or as I liked to call it, the Hollow Prison. Again I'm brought out of my little musings as a sharp pain goes through my hand, right near my thumb. I instantly jump back, shaking my hand as Aurora turns quickly only to look surprised as her eyes land on me.

"This isn't my choice and you know it." I hiss, afraid now that I'm here with her, Malificent will come barging in to take her.

She brings looking around the room, confusion going across her face as I keep explaining.

"I tried to get myself out of it but the threat of killing Kinno still hangs over us. So I had to do it. But she said only to bring you here, nothing else."

"Just be glad it was only a bite mark Riku! You scared me half to death!" Aurora counters and I smirk faintly to hear that fear still lightly present.

Granted, I'm glad she hadn't bitten down harder. If she had, my thumb would be dislocated right now because of where her teeth were placed.

"Sorry…I had to do it while no one was around." I apologize to calm her frazzled nerves.

Aurora just looks at me and sighs before shaking her head and looking around.

"How's Kinno doing?" I ask anxiously, remembering how injured she was when they left Alantica.

"Better. She was sleeping last I heard when I left the hotel." Aurora answers and I breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

Only seconds later I stiffen, hearing footsteps coming down the hallway. Knowing who the only other one is residing in this castle besides me puts me instantly on guard.

"Act like you're asleep and don't make a sound." I hiss quietly to Aurora and run over to the door, going out and meeting up with Malificent just before she opens the door to the room.

"Did you bring her?" She asks, her eyes narrowed in slight suspicion.

"I did but the scare and trip here exhausted her so she's asleep." I reply, unable to help letting a cold tone come to her.

"Well wake her up!"

"I don't think that would be the best idea. She'd be more willing to cooperate if she's fully rested than if she were half asleep."

Truth be told, I didn't know why Malificent wanted Aurora. I thought at first, it was to bring Kinno closer to the breaking point since one of her closest friends isn't near her, but now I'm not so sure.

Malificent doesn't say anything but makes as though to leave. Just before I let down my guard, she turns swiftly and grips my arm, her hold tight. Her claws dig into the side of my ribs a bit and I flinch, glaring hatefully at her.

"As soon as she wakes, bring her to me." She hisses.

"Fine." I answer back as coldly as I can.

She lets me go and leaves after that. I put a hand to my cut side, feeling blood slowly snaking its way down my skin. But it's not a deep gash and no where near anything I need to worry about. The long gash on my arm on the other hand…

"Are you okay?" Aurora's quiet voice asks.

"Yea…I'll be fine. But that's how suspicious she's gotten of me. Making small injuries and questioning everything I say."

But it wouldn't stop just because of a little pain. If I got hurt in order to help Kinno, it would be a small price to pay. Kinno wouldn't think so I'm sure, but in my eyes, she meant everything and everything else was nothing compared to keeping her safe and alive.

Aurora walks back into the room and I follow more slowly, this little cut giving me a lot more problems than I thought it would. Combined with the other one, my body was swiftly running it's self ragged and it left me feeling weak and lightheaded…A couple of feelings I'm not used to feeling…

"Hey it's still here."

Aurora's voice finally snaps me back to reality and I look up. Within minutes, I'm getting my wounds bandaged. Though clumsy, her movements are nonetheless feather light and a very faint blush tints my cheeks as I look away to let her work.

After a while of talking more, Aurora is leading me to the library through a secret passage in the wall. Though dark magic coursed through my veins, I find utter darkness causes shivers to run down my spine. Trying to keep myself aligned to the light, my path is becoming more blurred by the minute, as I creep closer and closer to the darkness. I had read the legend. Two pieces had already fallen into place. But I was trying to fight my part of what was foretold. I was failing fast but I wouldn't give up without a struggle unless someone proposed a better option, which probably wasn't going to happen.

As Aurora goes out into the library, I follow and blink in astonishment. I had never ventured down to the bottom level of this prison, wishing to stay up to where I can see the light better, and was amazed by how many books were around.

"Has anyone read them all?" I couldn't help to ask as I slowly walk around, looking around at everything.

In the back of my head, I tell myself I'm acting like Sora but at the moment, I couldn't help it. This was amazing.

"Umm…Leon probably, not sure though." Aurora answers.

I hear her take a book from the shelf and walk over, peeking over her shoulder as she flips the pages.

"So you know of it too?" I ask as she stops on the pages of the legend that was been laid out before us.

"I used to read it every time I came in here." Aurora retorts and I smile faintly.

"You left it in your room. I found it and started reading it. When I found something of interest, I gave the first page to Kinno…Though don't ask why I didn't give her the whole thing. Anyway, Malificent found me while I was looking through it again. She went wild and attacked me. This explains why I'm so out of it." I explain, moving my injured arm slightly to emphasize it.

"You know Kinno wants to get you out of here for good." Aurora says, changing the subject.

"I want to leave. I don't want to keep attacking those I care for."

"You'd get in more trouble if you took me back wouldn't you?"

Damn. She was perceptive. If I took her back, I'd probably be beaten within an inch of my life. And than Kinno would probably suffer too. And I tell her as much…Just not so many words.

"Than I'll stay for your sake."

"You can't! Once Malificent finds out I was lying it's all over anyway! So it's better to get you out of here while I'm still able!" I protest my eyes wide.

"I think I've figured out what she wants, but I only have half of it."

I blink in confusion to that before looking down towards the bottom level of the library as the wooden doors are thrown open, a loud thud resonating throughout the abruptly quiet room.

"Riku!"

"Crap…"

"Might be best if I went back through the tunnel?" Aurora suggests in a whisper.

"Judging by that she's found out so…"

I grab Aurora's hand and teleport away, carrying her to Traverse Town. We land in the middle of the second district and I shiver a bit, my head spinning from lack of energy. I almost burned myself out on that trip and I knew I wouldn't make it back to the castle without fainting.

"But you're going to get in big trouble." Aurora protests as she notices her surroundings.

"I'd rather be hurt myself than see what that witch has in store for you." I retort in a half growl.

"But it's not like she would kill me for it."

My eyes widen to see her pull out a necklace with half of the heartless symbol on it. But I couldn't place any hatred on her. Kinno carried that same necklace, stolen from Sora…As that thought clicks I mentally start at my stupidity. Of course! That was why she wanted Aurora! But that would require both pieces…

"I don't want you getting hurt at all so I'd rather take the punishment myself."

"She needs both pieces but hopefully she doesn't know."

"She doesn't. She didn't ask to bring both you and Kinno."

"How did you know Kinno carried the other piece?" Aurora asks and I smile a bit.

This was the first time in our whole lives we had been separated from each other. I'm sure, one way or another, Kinno has told Aurora of Sora washing up on shore.

"I was there with her the day Sora washed up on shore and I saw her take it from him. Afterwards, she would show it to me and ask if we should show Sora to see if he would regain any of his memory upon seeing it." I answer.

"Wouldn't do much good either way though. You need the person it belongs too…The siblings who lived in the castle had them."

My mind was working at a fast pace to piece this all together. Though Aurora had the necklace, it might still not be her who owned it. And she might not be apart of the siblings she had been talking about. A sense of foreboding touches me and I stop that train of thought, somehow knowing it will be used against me in the near future. So I try to question Aurora on it. But instead of asking, I feel an intense coldness. I turn shivering in fear as Malificent appears. She glares at me, completely ignoring Aurora and moves her staff in my direction. A black light comes from it and hits me, going straight to my heart and constricting it. I fall with a strangled gasp, clutching my heart in pain as I cough.

"I assure you, you weren't the only one to have felt that." Malificent says hatefully.

"No! Kinno!" I gasp, knowing instantly what she means.

With half of Kinno's heart, she could very well make her feel whatever she wanted. The light hits me again and all I see is black as I fly back.


End file.
